The Individual Project unit initiates the modus operandi that forms the backbone of the whole course. It provides the context for students to develop creative work and to experiment with ideas and techniques of their own choosing whilst developing autonomy. It also offers the time and structure for students to reflect on how inputs and experiences from other units inform their personal vision.
The unit consists of largely self-directed studio or location based projects supported by individual and group tutorials and interim, work-in progress reviews/crits. Students negotiate their programme of research and practice in close consultation with tutors. In semester 1 the emphasis is on exploring approaches to creative processes. In semester 2 this shifts towards student production of work. The unit continues in Year Two and, together with the more specific taught units, will culminate in the production of the major and minor projects at Year Three. To accompany the project outcomes workbooks are produced which map the development of projects and reveal the different stages of research, development and production. Students present work for assessment in a group context and discuss its conceptual and technical underpinning. The Independent Project also plays a crucial role in mapping each student's individual learning plan and tutorials have a diagnostic and developmental element.
